California woman arrested for biting and choking daughter during 'exorcism'

Victim hospitalised for multiple injuries

A mother claiming to exorcise demons from her daughter has been charged with allegedly biting, choking and shoving handfuls of sand into the girl’s mouth and eyes on a crowded beach, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Kimberly Felder, 45, was taken into custody on Friday morning on suspicion of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, felony child abuse and aggravated mayhem, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said in a statement.

The incident took place at about 9am when authorities received a report of a mother attacking a small girl at Centerville Beach County Park near Ferndale.

The witness told police that the mother was trying to perform an exorcism. She had stripped the 11-year-old girl naked and attacked her with sand, Honsal said.

“The mother stated she was trying to remove the demons from the child,” the sheriff said.

As Felder viciously hit, bit and choked the girl, Honsal said, a crowd of 10 to 12 people arrived and were witnesses to the act. During the attack, Felder severely bit her daughter’s right ear, authorities said.

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Resident John Marciel could not stand by and watch the beating, so he stepped in and restrained Felder.

As Marciel fought with Felder on the ground, she struck her daughter on the head with a piece of driftwood, authorities said. Authorities later arrested the accused once they reached the scene.

The girl was hospitalised with multiple injuries. She will most likely need reconstructive surgery to her ear, he said.

It is unclear what led the mother to believe her daughter was possessed and needed an exorcism.

Witnesses describe the incident as “strange “ and “very disturbing”.

Authorities said if it were not for Marciel’s heroism and swift actions, the girl could have been killed.